Cartilage

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Histology 4 – Cartilage Dr. Fadhil H. Ahmed
Cartilage
• It is a special form of dense connective tissue characterised by elasticity and
flexibility.
• Like other connective tissues, it also develops from mesenchymal cells and consists
of cells and matrix (fibres and ground substance). However, it differs from other
connective tissues in which does not have blood supply, lymphatics or nerves.
• Cartilage, in most cases, is surrounded by perichondrium. The cells of cartilage are
chondroblasts and chondrocytes. Ground substance is well hydrated and rich in
proteoglycans.
Functions: The major functions of

cartilage are as follows:
A. it acts as a cushion (bears the
compressive forces) and protects
the nerve ending in the
articulating surfaces of bones.
B. In intrauterine life, the skeleton
consists of cartilage; most of it is
replaced by bones in later life. The
epiphyseal plate of the long bones
remains cartilaginous till the
longitudinal growth of bones is
completed.
Nourishment: As mentioned earlier, the cartilage is avascular. It gets nutrition and

gases from the surrounding tissue, with the ground substance providing the medium for
diffusion of nutrients and gases. The source of nourishment is the blood vessels present
in the perichondrium. The articular cartilage (which lacks perichondrium) derives its
nourishment from synovial fluid that bathes the cartilage. Since the cartilage is an
avascular tissue and it depends on the surrounding tissue for its nourishment, it has poor
healing capacity.
Perichondrium
• It is a layer of dense connective tissue that surrounds most of cartilages.
• Perichondrium consists of an outer fibrous layer and an inner chondrogenic layer:
o Fibrous layer: The mesenchymal cells surrounding the cartilage differentiate into
fibroblasts. Fibroblasts form collagen fibres, and together they form the fibrous
layer of perichondrium. (This layer is present on the outer aspect of the
perichondrium.)
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o Chondrogenic layer: This layer is present in the
deeper aspect of perichondrium (the part of
perichondrium which is in contact with the
developing cartilage). Mesenchymal cells
(chondrogenic cells of this layer) have the
potential to differentiate into chondroblasts.
• Perichondrium has blood supply, lymphatics and
nerves, whereas cartilage does not have these.
Hence, oxygen and metabolites diffuse from the
perichondrium into the cartilage, as already
mentioned before.
Components of Cartilage
It is consisting of cells and extracellular matrix. The cells of cartilage are chondroblasts
and chondrocytes. The extracellular matrix consists of fibres (collagen and elastic) and
ground substance.
Chondroblasts
are oval-shaped cells, and they are present in the peripheral parts of the cartilage.
● They are oriented parallel to the surface of the cartilage.
● They are the precursors of chondrocytes.
Chondrocytes
• The shape of these cells varies in different regions of the cartilage. In the peripheral
part of the cartilage they are oval in shape, whereas in the deeper zone they are
somewhat round in shape.
• Chondrocytes are present in small cavities in matrix called lacunae (singular: lacuna).
In histological slides, there is a thin gap between the chondrocyte and the lacuna in
which it resides. This is because of the shrinkage of the chondrocyte during slide
preparation.
• Chondrocytes synthesise and secrete extracellular matrix.
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Ground Substance
• The ground substance is well hydrated, and the large component of water provides
resiliency to the cartilage. Because of the resilient nature of the cartilage, it can get
distorted without any damage and hence it provides flexible support to the
surrounding tissues.
• The ground substance also provides the medium through which diffusion of gases
and nutrients takes place.
• It is rich in proteoglycans. These are large molecules consisting of a core protein to
which numerous glycosaminoglycans are attached.
• Glycosaminoglycans present in the cartilage are mainly chondroitin sulphate,
hyaluronic acid and keratan sulphate.
• In hyaline cartilage, the matrix surrounding the lacuna is territorial matrix of hyaline
cartilage, described under ‘Hyaline Cartilage’ is more basophilic. This is because of
the high concentration of proteoglycans in the matrix around the lacuna.
Types of Cartilage
• There are 3 types of cartilage depending on the varying proportion of the matrix.
These are
A. Hyaline cartilage (is the most abundant type of cartilage in the body)
B. Elastic cartilage (is present in places where more flexible support is needed)
C. Fibrocartilage (provides tensile strength in the region where it is located)
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Hyaline cartilage Elastic cartilage Fibrocartilage

Present (except in articular
Perichondrium Present Absent
cartilage)
It appears yellow on gross It appears whitish on gross
It appears whitish and semi-
Gross appearance appearance due to the appearance
transparent on gross appearance
presence of elastic fibres.
A. Cell nest is well defined. Two Structurally similar to hyaline A. Irregular layers of collagen
to eight chondrocytes are cartilage with a few differences: fibres and ground substance
present in a cell nest a. Elastic fibres are also are present
Cell (type and organisation) B. Matrix surrounding the cell present in matrix B. Chondrocytes are arranged in
and matrix nest is more basophilic b. Cell nesting is not well rows between the layers of
(microscopic appearance) (territorial matrix), and it is defined collagen, within lacunae
surrounded by less basophilic c. There is a higher number
(interterritorial) matrix of chondrocytes and less
matrix
Elastic fibres and type II

Fibers Type II collagen Type I collagen
collagen
Nasal septum, tracheal rings, Auricle of the ear, walls of the Intervertebral disc and the
articular surfaces of moveable external auditory canal, articular cartilage in pubic
Examples joints, costal cartilages, eustachian tube and epiglottis symphysis.
epiphyseal plate and foetal
skeleton.
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Development and Growth of Hyaline Cartilage
1- Appositional growth: In this type of growth, cells in
the chondrogenic layer of perichondrium differentiate
to form chondroblasts. The newly formed cells and
matrix are added in the superficial parts of the pre-
existing cartilage.
2- Interstitial growth: In this type of growth, the pre-

existing chondrocytes divide and newly formed
cells secrete matrix. As a result, cells are pushed
apart, causing the cartilage to increase from inside

Cartilage

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1

Histology 4 – Cartilage Dr. Fadhil H. Ahmed

Functions: The major functions of

Nourishment: As mentioned earlier, the cartilage is avascular. It gets nutrition and

Hyaline cartilage Elastic cartilage Fibrocartilage

Elastic fibres and type II

2- Interstitial growth: In this type of growth, the pre-

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